I hadn’t been paying much attention to things like the sunrise, but that old sun had been coming up anyway. It didn’t really care how I felt, it was going to rise and set regardless of whether I noticed it, and if I was going to enjoy it, that was up to me.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of being present and appreciating life’s moments, like a sunrise, which happens regardless of our awareness.
In this quote, Jeannette Walls reflects on how life's natural occurrences, such as the sunrise, continue to happen regardless of our personal feelings or distractions. It serves as a reminder that our perception and enjoyment of these moments are a choice. If we choose to embrace and notice the beauty around us, particularly the simple yet profound act of witnessing a sunrise, we can find joy and meaning in our daily lives. It highlights the significance of mindfulness and appreciation in the face of life's unchanging rhythms.
In practice
This quote can inspire a meditation group to reflect on gratitude during their sessions.
I was in control of what people thought of me, but I had no control over what they thought of my mother. When I asked my mother, 'How do I tell people about you?' her answer was, 'Tell the truth'. But of course, the truth is never simple.
In my opinion, trying to guess what readers want is the wrong approach. You have to tell your story as best you can and as true to yourself as possible. You have to be honest and fair and vulnerable and foolish and brave, and not care what anyone thinks of it.
Some people who've read my story think I had a terrible childhood and that I was neglected or even abused, while others feel that my parents, while certainly flawed, also had truly wonderful qualities. And that's the way it should be, because in real life two people can look at the same president and one will see a hero and the other a villain.
You can't cling to the side your whole life, that one lesson every parent needs to teach a child is "If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim
When people kill themselves, they think they're ending the pain, but all they're doing is passing it on to those they leave behind.
I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.
I remember being in Japan when Destiny's Child put out 'Independent Women,' and women there were saying how proud they were to have their own jobs, their own independent thinking, their own goals. It made me feel so good, and I realized that one of my responsibilities was to inspire women in a deeper way.
I remember being young in the 1960s... we had a great sense of the future, a great big hope. This is what is missing in the youth today. This being able to dream and to change the world.
Because you are alive, everything is possible.
Members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are not superhuman. They are ordinary people with ordinary frailties. But therein lies the power of their example.
I bring you the gift of these four words: I believe in you.
I want to be a children’s hero… Children need heroes because heroes give hope; without hope they have no future.
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